Telecommunications networks such as asynchronous transfer mode ("ATM") networks are used for transfer of audio, video and other data. ATM networks deliver data by routing data units such as ATM cells from source to destination through switches. Switches include input/output ("I/O") ports through which ATM cells are received and transmitted. The appropriate output port for transmission of the cell is determined based on the cell header.
One problem associated with ATM networks is loss of cells. Cells are buffered within each switch before being routed and transmitted from the switch. More particularly, switches typically have buffers at either the inputs or outputs of the switch for temporarily storing cells prior to transmission. As network traffic increases, there is an increasing possibility that buffer space may be inadequate and data lost. If the buffer size is insufficient, cells are lost. Cell loss causes undesirable interruptions in audio and video data transmissions, and may cause more serious damage to other types of data transmissions.
In point-to-point transmission a cell is transmitted from a single input port to a single output port across the switch fabric. In point-to-multipoint transmission a cell is transmitted from a single input to multiple outputs across the switch fabric. In order to execute such a transmission, each of the designated outputs must be available to receive the cell from the transmitting input, i.e., have adequate buffer space. However, the likelihood that each of the designated outputs will be simultaneously prepared to receive the cell when the cell is enqueued decreases as traffic within the switch increases. In some circumstances this may result in delayed transmission. In the worst case, cells will be delayed indefinitely and incoming cells for that connection are discarded. It would therefore be desirable to facilitate transmission by reducing or eliminating delays and cell loss.